An easy, everyday vegan lentil soup recipe made in 1 pot with budget friendly ingredients. Naturally thick, satisfying and filling! Perfect with some fresh crusty bread.
This everyday vegan lentil soup is anything but bland. It’s FULL of flavor between the spices, fresh vegetables and even a squeeze of lemon juice at the end.
I think you will LOVE this Everyday Vegan Lentil Soup! It’s:
Absolutely delicious
Budget friendly, made with inexpensive ingredients
Satisfying, filling and full of protein
Filled with greens
Kid-friendly
& SO easy to make!
What kind of lentils should I use for vegan lentil soup?
Use either green or brown lentils for this soup. Both work well; they hold their shape while thickening the soup. You could even use black lentils, but your soup will be a lot less thick. So go for green or brown!
Red lentils are wonderful in many dishes, but not this soup. They are very soft and mushy once cooked. I love using red lentils in marinara when I want to add nutrition and protein without changing the consistency very much, like in The Best Vegan Lasagna.
How do you make vegan lentil soup?
It’s easy!
First, cook the onions, garlic, carrots and celery in a bit of olive oil (or water) for about 4-5 minutes.
Next, add the rest of the ingredients EXCEPT for the spinach and lemon juice. Simmer for about 30 minutes until the soup is thickened and the lentils tender.
Stir in the spinach, lemon juice and season with salt to taste. That’s it!
Enjoy the vegan lentil soup with some fresh, crusty bread if desired or even with some brown rice.
This soup recipe makes quite a bit, so consider freezing your leftovers if you don’t think you will eat it within 5 days. You can freeze it in individual containers for quick, easy meals in the future! Or freeze half of the soup in a large container or large freezer bag.
For a thinner soup, simply add more water or vegetable broth.
Substitute the baby spinach with chopped kale or baby kale, if desired. If you use regular kale you will need to cook it in the soup a bit longer, maybe 10 minutes more until tender.
I absolutely LOVE making soup in this Lodge Cast Iron Dutch Oven! It just somehow makes soup even more cozy. Of course all you need is a big regular pot.
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Everyday Vegan Lentil Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
- 2 celery ribs, chopped
- 14- ounce can crushed or diced tomatoes
- 2 cups dry green or brown lentils
- 7 cups vegetable broth
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 3 cups baby spinach, sliced into ribbons
- 1 lemon, juiced (about 2 tablespoons)
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, carrots and celery. Cook, stirring frequently for about 4-5 minutes.
- Now add the can of tomatoes (with juices), lentils, vegetable broth, cumin, coriander and smoked paprika. Stir to incorporate everything.
- Bring to a boil, then lower heat to a simmer and cook for about 30 minutes, until the lentils are tender and the soup has thickened.
- Stir in the spinach and lemon juice. It will only take a minute for the spinach to wilt. Season with salt to taste.
Recipe Notes
- For a thinner soup, simply add more water or vegetable broth until the desired consistency is reached.
- If desired, blend just a few time with an immersion blender for a slightly creamier soup.
- This soup freezes well. Either freeze in individual containers or a large container for quick future meals.
- May substitute kale for the spinach, but you will need to cook the kale in the soup about 10 more minutes to get it tender.
Linda Thom
Tried this soup today. It was so delicious. I had to use regular paprika, that was all I had but loved it as well as my hubby. We are not Vegan but a nice healthy, delicious meal. Thank you for such a good, easy recipe. Will make again.
Nora
Glad you liked it!
Lori
I made this soup with red lentils even though Nora said not to because they get too mushy. Since I sometimes have trouble with the texture of lentils I wanted to try them. Oh my goodness! It changed the texture of the soup from a bean soup to an Indian spiced potato soup. So rich and creamy and without any dairy too! Thanks for the recipe. I absolutely love it! Per Nora’s direction, I also made a marinara with the red lentils. So good. Won’t be missing my Italian sausage sauce at all!
Janet
I rarely share an untried recipe with others but this sounded just right so I brought it to the Ash Wednesday soup and bread dinner before services at church. What a hit! Even the non-vegetarian, non-vegan crowd gobbled it up. I didn’t have any leftovers to bring home. I did not use oil and I did puree half the soup so it was deliciously thick and filling. I’m making it again right now as part of my weekly food prep. Well done! This is the very first vegan lentil soup I have liked and I love it!!
Nora
That’s so great! Thanks for the comment.
Sandy
This soup is delicious. I added a touch more cumin and coriander, as well as about a quarter teaspoon of red pepper flakes. Made it for my vegan boyfriend and he was very happy. My son also loved it. Having some friends over tonight and will be serving this with some crusty bread and a salad.
Nora
I’m so glad it’s delicious!
Lydia
This was a delicious soup! I made it exactly as the recipe called for except didn’t have coriander, so I added a little extra cumin. Perfect! Will make again for our vegan friends!
Nora
So glad!
Tiffany Lorenzana
Just starting my vegetarian journey. For myself and my son. He ate two whole bowls of this and he’s a picky 9 year old. Making it again right now. Added some sofrito to enhance it but still keeping it vegan. Amazing soup thanks for recipe.
Nora
You’re welcome!
don martino
I thought that lentil soups took a long time to prepare. Your estimated time was quite accurate. The soup turned out to be very tasty and had a very pleasant appearance. Thanks for this healthy, luscious and easy to do recipe!
Nora
You’re welcome! Glad it was good!
Mish
This lentil plate is So yummy! Loved it! I made it WFPB, eliminating the oil and sautéing with the broth. I also added sweet peas and more of the spices mentioned. I’ll be adding this to may favorites list!!
Nora
I’m so glad you like it!
Carole
Absolutely beautiful . Thought it would taste tomatoey. But it was a mix of tastes that was pure heaven . Thank you so much .
Nora
You’re welcome! Glad it was heavenly! 🙂
Tony
Didn’t see a calorie count for the soup, but with an online calculator it estimates at 278 calories per serving.
Christina
What is the serving size? 1cup?
Nora
About 1 1/2 cups I think, but I’m not totally sure.